Discover how Dr. Heather Macdonald used her Walden education to create a new teaching model that provides students with a greater opportunity to learn.

Deborah Tonguis: How Walden’s Ed.D. Program Expanded My Horizons

When I began the Walden program, the Ed.D. program, I thought that my goal was just to work with pre-service teachers because I’m getting pretty close to the 30-year mark. And so, I really wanted to bring what I understand about education to brand new teachers, just-qualified teachers who are in undergraduate programs. I’m a teacher-mentor, and I work with brand new teachers all the time, so I thought with that Ed.D., it would really allow me entree into higher education. Now, I feel like that goal was too small, and I really…although I would really like to do that, I see that as a springboard for more, national activities, to be more involved in policy, to use my teacher voice and all the years of experience that I have, plus now with all the familiarity with the research and the literature to go out and really work on education reform, and see these 21st century schools that we’re all talking about become a reality, and not just talk.